Terminal providing length adjustment for shade rollers



P 12, 1967 .1. A. ANDERSON 3,340,922

TERMINAL PROVIDING LENGTH ADJUSTMENT FOR SHADE ROLLERS Filed March 24, 1966 United States Patent 3,340,922 TERMINAL PROVIDING LENGTH ADJUSTMENT FOR SHADE ROLLERS James A. Anderson, Muskegon, Mieh., assignor to Breneman, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 24, 1966, Ser. N 0. 537,240 Claims. (Cl. 160-326) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A terminal structure for shade rollers, including a cylindrical terminal plug for telescopic insertion into the open end of a tubular shade roller, which plug is characterized by longitudinal flutes in its exterior surface extending from the end thereof which is inserted into the roller and having dilferent lengths. A stop means comprising an annular ring which is telescopable over the terminal plug is provided, and this ring has internally-projecting lugs receivable within a given flute in the terminal plug and slidable lengthwise along the same until contacting the end extremity of that particular flute. The ring thus limits the allowable extent of telescopic insertion of the terminal plug into the shade roller by coming into direct abutting contact with the end of the roller, and this allowable extent of insertion may be varied by selection of a particular flute having a particular length.

This invention relates to rollers for window shades and the like, and more particularly to a terminal structure for telescoping engagement with such a roller and having a novel arrangement for limiting such engagement at predetermined points to provide easy and rapid adjustment in the overall length of the roller.

The present invention comprises a refinement and improvement of the invention described and claimed in copending application Ser. No. 486,455, filed Sept. 10, 1965, now U.S. Patent No. 3,315,728, which I invented jointly with another.

The desirability of lengthwise adjustable shade rollers has now become relatively well recognized in the window shade industry. Basically, this is due to the fact that window shades and their rollers are produced in several standard lengths chosen to accommodate the predominating and, to some extent, standard window sizes, whereas actual consumer experience indicates that a great many windows are not actually of the exact standard widths, and that shade mounting brackets which have already been installed very frequently do not correspond to a nominal window width dimension. Accordingly, some adjustment in the length of the roller and width of the shade must necessarily be made before a shade can be mounted and used. While retail dealers in window shades generally have the capability of trimming a given shade and roller to reduce it in size, multiple sources of possible error frequently produce the result that the completed and trimmed shade still does not accurately fit the intended mounting brackets. Further, trimming is of course no remedy for a shade which is already slightly too narrow and having a roller requiring lengthening. This problem frequently arises where, for one of a variety of reasons, a somewhat excessive amount has been trimmed from the original standard roller and shade.

One of the most useful answers to the problem of shade roller length adjustment is a roller having a telescopically extendable terminal plug at one end thereof.

Such a plug may be removed in order to permit trimming of the tubular roller itself if this should be required, and the telescopic engagement of the plug and roller may be varied over a given range to provide for both lengthen- "ice ing and shortening of the roller assembly by small amounts. Telescoping terminal plugs have given rise to many problems in and of themselves, however, since the plug must permit its degree of relative insertion into the roller to be easily varied manually and without the need for any particular or special tools. Furthermore, the plug must at all times and at all adjusted positions remain secure within the roller and must not move during prolonged periods of use at any such position.

One of the major objectives of the present invention is to provide a terminal structure having unique structural features by which positive and definite incremental adjustments may be made in the length of a shade roller in an extremely easy and-rapid manner, while at the same time producing a shade roller which is rigidly locked in position once adjusted so that it is entirely stable in use.

It is a further major objective of the present invention to provide a length-adjusting shade roller terminal structure of the aforesaid character which is readily adapted to high-volume production techniques such as the injection molding of plastics, by which the entire structure may rapidly and economically be produced and to thereby be commercially attractive within a highly competitive, closemargin industry such as is found in the manufacture of shade rollers.

The foregoing major objectives and the purposes and advantages thereof, together with other objects and advantages which are equally a part thereof, will be understood by those skilled in the shade roller and shade roller equipment art upon a further consideration of the following specification and its appended claims, particularly when these are taken in conjunction with the accompanying illustrative drawings setting forth a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an exploded, lateral perspective view of a complete terminal assembly;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the collar structure of FIG. 1 showing details thereof;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken along the plane IIIIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of one portion of the terminal, shown in a vertical position; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side elevational view in central section of the terminal structure shown in operative engagement with a typical roller structure.

In the execution of this invention, there is provided a shade roller having an open end. A molded terminal plug telescopically fits into this open end. The plug is characterized by fluted sides with flutes having different lengths and being arranged circumferentially of the plug. A stop means, longitudinally stationary with respect to the end of the shade roller, fits into any one of the flutes and the length of the shade roller may be determined by selection of the flute having the proper length to stop telescopic interfit of the plug and roller with the necessary length of plug projecting from the end of the roller.

Referring now in more detail to the drawings, the terminal construction of the invention includes a plug structure having a somewhat elongated cylindrical tubular body element 12. Plug body 12 has an end wall 14 of a diameter greater than that of the cylindrical body. A gudgeon pin 16 extends outwardly from the center of the end wall 14, along the longitudinal axis of the body element 12. The terminal construction also includes an annular collar 18 which firmly but readily is slidable lengthwise of the body element 12 when telescoped thereover, in a manner to be seen more fully subsequently.

The body element 12 is circumferentially fluted, having 3 a series of longitudinal recesses or channels formed in its outer surface which extend along the length of the body from its end opposite the end wall 14, over predetermined and differing lengths. Specifically, two sets of such flutes or channels are located diametrically opposite each other on the body, with both sets containing the same number of channels and each channel in each such set having a different length than other channels in that particular set but each channel in a set having a counterpart of the same length located in the other set of channels and positioned diametrically opposite across the body element 12.

For example, FIGS. 1 and 4 illustrate one such set of channels, numbered 20, 22, 24, 26, and 28, each having a different length. In a preferred embodiment, the length of the plug from the end wall 14 to the opposite open tubular end maybe about one and one-quarter inches. Channel 24 preferably extends over this entire length, while channel 20 has a length of three-fourths inches, channel 22 has a length of seven-eights, channel 26 has a length of one inch, and channel 28 has a length of one and one-eighth inches. As seen in FIG. 3, directly opposite channel 20 is located a channel 20' of the same length, a channel 22 is directly opposite channel 22 and has the same length, and this same scheme is carried out throughout both sets of channels, as may be seen by comparing FIGS. 1 and 5.

The body element 12 is preferably slightly flared over its length towards its open end opposite the end wall 14 (note FIG. 3), and the longest pair of oppositely-disposed channels (i.e., channels 24 and 24) extend completely through the walls of the body element over the major portion of their length, so that the flared body is longitudinally slotted. This provides for diametral contraction of the flared body, which preferably is made from a stiffly resilient material such as the polymeric plastic presently known as vDelrin, which has a high degree of plastic memory. Consequently, if the flared end portion of the body is made to be nominally slightly larger than the inside diameter of a tubular roller into which it is to be telescoped, the frictional forces seating the body within the roller will be significantly increased.

The annular collar 18 is a generally flat ring-like structure which is preferably formed from a plastic material such as high-impact styrene or the like. As FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate, the collar 18 has a pair of inwardly-projecting lugs 30 and 30 which are located diametrically opposite each other and which extend transversely across the width of the collar. Lugs 30 and 30' are of a size designed to closely fit in any of the recesses or channels formed in the body element, i.e., the width and height of the lugs are substantially the same as, but slightly less than, the comparable dimensions of the said channels. Further, the collar 18 preferably has a pair of transverse grooves or notches 32 which extend across its width on the outer surface thereof, with one such notch being formed in radial alignment with each of the lugs 30 and 30'. The purpose of the notches or grooves 32 is to serve as an externally apparent indicia of the position of the internal lugs 30 and 30, so that one need not look inside the collar 18 to know exactly where the lugs are located; however, such grooves may also serve as locator means for automatic assembly of the collar to the body element in manufacturing processes.

The use and operation of a terminal construction according to the present invention is readily perceived once the foregoing structural details are known. The annular collar 18 telescopes over the body element 12 of the terminal, with the lugs 30 and 3th inside the collar fitted into a selected pair of oppositely-disposed channels. A pair of such channels having a particular length is selected, and the engagement of the lugs 30 and 30' therewith is facilitated by the indicia notches or grooves 32 in the outside of the collar, since when one of the said indicia is aligned with one of the selected channels, the lug inside the collar is automatically aligned with the same channel, and due to the diametrically opposed location of both lugs and both channels of equal length, the collar readily slides onto the body with both lugs engaged in both selected channels. It is to be noted that the inner diameter of the collar 18 should preferably be slightly less than the flared outer diameter of the body 12, so that a slight diametral contraction of the latter occurs when the collar is pushed thereover. The outward urgings resulting from the plastic memory of the body thus serve to firmly hold the collar in place upon the body.

The collar 18 is then pushed lengthwise along the body until the lugs 30 and 30' come into abutting contact with the end walls of the particular pair of channels which have been selected. Inasmuch as the channels are of the same length, the end walls thereof, along with the lugs and the collar 18 itself, lie in a plane which is substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the body element, and this is of course true regardless of which particular set of oppositely-disposed channels of equal length have been selected for engagement with the lugs 30 and 30' of the collar 18.

With the collar in place against the end walls of the channels, the body element is telescoped into a shade roller having an open tubular end, as seen at 34 in FIG. 5. The body element is pushed into such a roller until the collar 18 becomes abutted against the end of the roller. Inasmuch as the lugs 30 and 30' are abutted against the end walls of the particular channels chosen for their engagement, the contact of the collar 18 against the end of the roller 34 thus limits the telescopic engagement of the body 12 with the roller, and thereby establishes the effective overall length of the composite roller assembly. As will be apparent, adjustments in this length are extremely easily accomplished by means of the present terminal construction, inasmuch as all that need be done is to remove the body element from the roller, slide the collar 18 ofi? the body, select the next longer or shorter pair of channels according to whether a lengthening or shortening of the roller is required, align the lugs 30 and 30' by means of the indicia 32 with the selected new pair of channels, and once again slide the collar 18 over the plug and telescope the plug back into the roller, thereby establishing a new overall length therefor.

It will be at once apparent to those skilled in the shade and shade roller art that the present invention provides an extremely desirable form of roller construction by which adjustments in the length of the roller are readily and quickly accomplished and which retains its structural rigidity after each such adjustment in length so as to always operate satisfactorily. Moreover, the present construction readily lends itself to high-volume production techniques such as injection molding, since all of the identified features of the body element and annular collar may be molded integrally therein. Thus, the structure is desirable from the point of view of the manufacturer as well as that of the consumer, since the resulting terminal construction is entirely feasible in a highly competitive, close-margin industry such as that found in the manufacture of shade rollers.

It is entirely conceivable that having once been introduced to the principles of the present invention, others may devise further embodiments of the concept underlying the invention, or may devise certain modifications and changes in the particular embodiment shown and described herein. Consequently, all such embodiments and changed structures are to be considered as within the scope of the claims appended herebelow, unless these claims by their language specifically state otherwise.

I claim:

1. A terminal structure for shade rollers providing length adjustment thereof, said terminal comprising: a generally cylindrical body element telescopingly engageable with a shade roller; said body having abutment means located at spaced intervals along the length thereof; and a stop structure independent of said body element and said roller and mountable upon said body to be arrestable leng h i e thereof by positioning contact with prede termined ones of said abutment means; said stop structure being adjustable along the length of said body by such contact with different ones ofsaid abutment means; and said stop structure arranged to contact portions of such a shade roller upon the telescoping engagement therewith of said body to limit such engagement and thereby determine the effective length of the roller as a function of the particular abutment means in contact with the stop structure.

2. The terminal structure defined in claim 1, wherein said abutment means includes a plurality of recesses formed in said body element, each such recess having an end wall located at one of said intervals for arresting contact of said stop structure.

3. The terminal structure defined in claim 2, wherein said stop structure has a circularly curved portion for fitting about portions of said body element, and at least one lug projecting from said curved portion of a size receivable within any of said recesses.

4. The terminal structure defined in claim 2, wherein said recesses are channels of differing lengths formed in the surface of said body element and extending longitudinally thereof from the end which is engageable with the said shade roller.

5. The terminal structure defined in claim 4, wherein said stop structure is a generally annular collar arranged to telescope over said body element, said collar having at least one inwardly-projecting lug of a size receivable within each of said channels, and said collar arranged to abut the end of a shade roller when said body is telescoped thereinto, to limit such telescoping.

6. The terminal structure defined in claim 3, wherein said plurality of recesses includes groups of individual recesses having their end walls lying in a plane normal to said body element; said individual recesses in each of said groups positioned symmetrically relative to the longitudinal axis of said body; and said stop structure having the same number of projecting lugs as the number of individual recesses in said groups, said lugs being symmetrically spaced such that each recess in a group re ceives one such lug.

7. The terminal structure defined in claim 5, wherein said channels include groups of individual channels having a common length and such channels are positioned symmetrically relative to the longitudinal axis of said body; and wherein said stop structure collar has the same number of projecting lugs as the number of individual channels in said groups, said lugs being symmetrically spaced such that each channel in a group receives one such lug.

8. The terminal structure defined in claim 7, wherein said collar has indicia means on its outer surface to visibly indicate the position of at least one of said lugs projecting from the interior thereof, to facilitate the alignment of such lugs with said channels.

9. The terminal structure defined in claim 7, wherein said body element is molded of a plastic substance and has a generally tubular skirt portion at said roller-engaging end; said skirt having at least one longitudinal slit therein permitting at leastsome resilient diametral contraction thereof; and said skirt being flared at said end to have a normal outside diameter at least slightly larger than the inside diameter of said annular collar, such that said flared skirt is at least slightly diametrally contracted by sliding said collar thereover.

10. A terminal element adapted to be telescopically received into the end of a tubular shade roller for supporting said roller and adjusting its overall length, said terminal element comprising: a body member having fluted sides; and a ring element separate from and independent of both said body member and said shade roller and seatable about said body member to be slideable lengthwise thereof; said flutes being arranged in a pattern circu-rn'ferentially of said body member with each flute being of a different length; one end of each of said flutes opening through one end of said body member, and the other end thereof forming a stop wall; said ring having a projection extending into at least one-of said flutes and slideable therewithin to engage said stop wall; said ring upon insertion of said body member into said roller limiting the depth of telescopic engagement of the body member into the roller by directly abutting the end of the latter, such that said limited depth of engagement is determined by selection of the particular flute into which said ring element projection is introduced.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,175,345 3/1916 Cunningham -263 3,195,618 7/1965 Anderson et al 160323 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,584 3/1890 Great Britain.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, PETER M. CAUN, Examiners. 

1. A TERMINAL STRUCTURE FOR SHADE ROLLERS PROVIDING LENGTH ADJUSTMENT THEREOF, SAID TERMINAL COMPRISING: A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL BODY ELEMENT TELESCOPINGLY ENGAGEABLE WITH A SHADE ROLLER; SAID BODY HAVING ABUTMENT MEANS LOCATED AT SPACED INTERVALS ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF: AND A STOP STRUCTURE INDEPENDENT OF SAID BODY ELEMENT AND SAID ROLLER AND MOUNTABLE UPON SAID BODY TO BE ARRESTABLE LENGTHWISE THEREOF BY POSITIONING CONTACT WITH PREDETERMINED ONES OF SAID ABUTMENT MEANS; SAID STOP STRUCTURE BEING ADJUSTABLE ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID BODY BY SUCH CONTACT WITH DIFFERENT ONES OF SAID ABUTMENT MEANS; AND SAID STOP STRUCTURE ARRANGED TO CONTACT PORTIONS OF SUCH A SHADE ROLLER UPON THE TELESCOPING ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH OF SAID BODY TO LIMIT SUCH ENGAGEMENT AND THEREBY DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVE LENGTH OF THE ROLLER AS A FUNCTION OF THE PARTICULAR ABUTMENT MEANS IN CONTACT WITH THE STOP STRUCTURE. 